I need quick answers on bears and camping!?

Question

We are about to go camping in Ventana Wilderness in California (in like 30 minutes.) There have been bears there and we've seen them ourselves but they've never came to close to us--

What do we do if one comes up to our tent again and tries to get in this time?

What do we do if we are alone and encounter a bear?

What do we do if we are in a GROUP and encounter a bear.

Any other suggestions would be great thanks!

Answer 1

You only need to play dead if you encounter a grizzly, and in the Ventana you won't. We only have black or brown bears down here and they are not agressive unless you provoke them or split a mom off from her cubs. The advice about keeping your food sealed so it doesn't smell is a good one but that is not because you should be afraid of the bears hurting you. It is because they will steal your food! REI sells a bear canister that I'd recommend for use in the Sierras (Get the one that is black and needs a key or coin to open the lid) but you should be fine in Ventana without one. Also keep your toilettries in ziplocks.

If I were you I'd only be worried about two things: bugs and poison oak! You'll find a whole lot of both there. Bring a net for your face and poison oak soap and wash often!

Answer 2

Bears usually avoid humans. So make sure that the bear knows that you are around.

Sing something, talk loudly, keep noise. Tell the bear that you are coming.

If you actually see the bear, stop and start walking back where you came from. DO NOT RUN. and don't turn your back. Walk backwards, keep the bear in sight but don't look straight at him. Keep your eyes down.

And if you know that there is a bear that is known to be dangerous and has been 'too friendly' before.. then do not go there at all.. It's stirring up trouble. Keep out of there and stay safe..

Edit:
Aaand as mentioned before: keep your foods in well closed plastic bags so that the bear cant smell it.. And keep the bag away from your tent.

Keep all your garbages (like left overs and empty cookie packages) the same way too and throw them away after the trip when you get back home.. so there is nothing left in the nature that might wake up bears interest in humans as a suitable food.. :-)

Answer 3

Well, since you're already gone, I'm sure the rangers have told you what it says about bears on the Los Padres National Forest web page:
# Bears. Many black bears make their home in the forest. They are most often found foraging for berries and tubers in riparian areas. During the fall they move up to the oak woodlands looking for acorns. Hungry bears will walk through camps and pick up packs and food bags, ripping them apart if they smell food. If the bears become accustomed to obtaining food from backpackers, they will develop a habit of approaching humans. In order to avoid confrontations, we urge the following steps.

* Do not approach any bear, especially a cub. Do not feed bears or try to retrieve food from them.
* Keep your camp clean and and counterbalance everything that has an odor, including soap, toothpaste and freeze-dried food
* Leave packs empty on the ground with all zippers and flaps open so that visiting bears can nose through them without doing any damage.
* If a bear approaches your camp, make noise to try to scare the bear away. If the bear does not retreat, you should.
* Pack out any trash. Never bury it. Bears will dig up trash, including empty cans.
* Report any bear damage to the Ranger.
http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/lospadres/recreation/safety/

That almost says it all. The "counterbalance" method of protecting your food is crap. First of all it's too hard, it takes too long, and requires special equipment and technique in both locating a suitable tree limb, and tossing the rope up there and getting everything balanced properly. And secondly, bears have come up with ways of getting counterbalanced food and it is no longer allowed in many areas, such as Yosemite NP.

A much better alternative is to use bear proof canisters to store all your food and scented items. If the wilderness area you are visiting doesn't have them for rent, and if you backpack a lot in bear country then consider buying one.
http://www.rei.com/product/738570

Answer 4

many people will tell you to play dead if you encounter a bear DO NOT LISTEN TO THEM!!! if you encounter a black bear or a cougar you should fight back with everything you have make loud noises and be big and aggressive. the animal will then not see you as prey but as another predator and not want to eat you. but if you encounter a grizzly bear, or possibly a mother bear with her cubs curl into a ball and and protect your vital organs and face. because you will not be able to defeat of frighten a grizzly or a mother with cubs. one way you can prevent encounters with a bear(which is the best course of action) is to sing or talk loudly as you are walking through bear county. and to keep all food away from were you sleep.

Answer 5

Here's a quickie site:

http://www.udap.com/safety.htm

But seriously, bears are no joke. Have you considered camping where there are no bears?

BTW, people in Japan wear bells (like those schoolbells that the old-fashioned school marms used to ring to get their kids into class) around their belts when they go wildcrafting in bearish areas. The ringing is supposed to keep the bears away.

Make a lot of noise and party all night -- maybe that's the best way to keep the bears away.

You know all the stuff about keeping your food safe and away from the sleeping site, right?

Good luck!

Answer 6

You can't out run them. You can't out climb them. I have always heard that you need to curl up in a ball, play dead. That's what I've heard although that would be pretty hard to do when you are terrified. Other than that, maybe you can take something that will make a high pitched noise that will run them off. You know, like a dog whistle. Something that will scare them away. Just make sure you store your food, toothpaste, anything with aroma, in one of those metal boxes. Away from the tent, away from the car. Even lotion makes them curious enough to come into your campsite. If all else fails, take BIG sticks and hotdogs to scare/temp them away from you if they attack. Good luck and may God bless.

Answer 7

a bear wont try to get in unless it smells "food".Standard bear country practice--bear bag.Put everything in a bag away from your tent as far as poss,or in your vehicle.Toothpaste,camera film,lots of items you wouldn't think of need to be in there besides obviously food.-------Walk away from a bear without turning your back-don't run.-------A group will probably make enough noise for a bear to avoid you.Bears are smart and will hide rather than be seen by humans normally.At night bears raid campsites looking for scraps.Keep scraps non-existent and NO SNACKS at bedtime.Everything in bear bag.

Answer 8

Bring a High Powered rifle "Just in Case", but bears particularly smaller black bears can be scared away with noise sometimes. Larger Grizzlies and Kodiaks have been known to regard humans as lunch.

Answer 9

if there grizzly's climb a tree or anything u can think of but if its a black bear no madder what u do alone or not scream and yell throw things at it climb on somthin 2 look bigger hit it in the face with somthin if it comes close enough its just like if someone wants 2 fight and and u just start goin nutty trust me i kno from experience on both sides(forest,fights)

Answer 10

.........nicely in case you deliver in 3 days you have already had all your phsyicals at MEPS. for sure you weren't disqualified or you does no longer be delivery out in 3 days. they do no longer do any of that throughout the time of person-friendly. they only provide you a team of photos and that's approximately it medically. In military boot camp I sat in a dentists chair for a pair of million minute together as he poked around in my mouth and then i replaced into directly to something else.